


Know You Better

by Pen_to_parchment



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Middle School, Alternate Universe - Mortal, Developing Friendships, F/M, Gen, Song: Everything Has Changed (Taylor Swift), Songfic, jeyna
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:21:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25008346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pen_to_parchment/pseuds/Pen_to_parchment
Summary: Jason has had his fair share of fame at Jupiter Middle School, being the principal's son tends to do that. But his status as such makes him privy to the latest news on campus, so when a mysterious new girl arrives, he's the first to try to befriend her. Of course, he's also the first victim of her icy fronts and even colder words. He does, however, manage to squeeze some information out of her, and he finds she might not be as mysterious as he thought.Reyna has a routine. From state to state, house to house, school to school, she stalks through hallways and lets people look through her until it's time to pick up and move again. As the newest addition to Jupiter Middle School's student body, she's prepared to do just that. What she doesn't expect is that a certain blond would ruin that plan. So when blue eyes and smiling lips follow her everywhere, she's not entirely sure what to make of it.
Relationships: Jason Grace & Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Jason Grace/Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	1. A Simple Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason reflects on his friendship with the new girl in his class, but learns from the rest of his family that there's a lot she neglected to tell him. Suddenly, the few words she had said to him start to make more sense.

When blue eyes open for the first time that day, it’s with the image of brown ones burned in behind them. The opening words of his morning is a name, or four, that he had been determined to memorize since yesterday. And he doubted he would forget them anytime soon. _Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano_. She had cringed when he tried to repeat her, Roll the _r_ ’s, she’d said. Say it with an accent, she’d said. It had inspired in him a newfound sense of gratitude for his own simple _Jason Grace_. His only problem was that they had met on a Friday, and he wouldn’t see her again until Monday. All the more time to practice her name, then. What he didn’t expect was that it would come up again over the breakfast table. 

He bounded down the stairs and was greeted by the familiar scene of a Saturday morning in the Grace house. His father sat at the island bar, idly repeating the events of his last school board meeting to his wife on the other side of the kitchen. Thalia sat at the table with music blasting through her headphones. She was typing furiously on her laptop, probably working on one of the college entrance essays she had been so stressed about lately. Light slanted through the blinds on the windows and made a striped pattern on the tile floors. The sound of bacon and eggs sizzling filled the room. While Zeus slotted in his two cents about some new school board ruling or other, his mother darted around in front of the stove making breakfast. “I’m just saying, they could do more to be inclusive of students who join mid-year.” He was gesturing irritably at an article on his phone. “They get one half-assed tour and are left to fend for themselves without knowing any of the previous material? It’s bullshit.” Jason halted at the bottom of the stairs to listen in. 

It wasn’t uncommon for him to overhear conversations like this. His parents were more involved in the school than most were. Zeus Grace was the principal, though his time was usually spent at conferences and school board meetings rather than on his campus. He was a rare sight at school, and, more than once, he had even been mistaken for a substitute by his own students. More often than not, Vice President Lupa was the one doing the administrative work at Jupiter Middle School. She was the one who stalked the hallways, visited classrooms, and generally inspired sufficient fear in the student body. Hers was the unfortunate task of keeping the school’s population of tweens in check. Of course, that meant she also worked closely with his mother. Beryl Grace was president of the school’s PTA. That job was one she performed to the best of her ability, and she knew the goings-on of both the school and New Rome’s community better than anyone else. She was also the school’s resident drama teacher. Between her passion for her job and her love of theatrics, discourse in the Grace home made for intense reactions. In fact, she got more fired up at issues than his dad did, most of the time. 

“And I agree,” Beryl assured her husband. “It’s a shame that they’re barely taught anything. Like the Ramírez girls? They just moved here, their parents are hardly home, and I can’t imagine they have anyone to teach them outside of school. One starting middle school, the other in senior year, no less?” She shook her head and carefully pried an egg out of the pan and added it to a plate heaping with bacon. He thought about Reyna, remembering when she stepped out of his dad’s office yesterday with who he assumed were her parents. They had gone to his dad for the principal’s orientation on Reyna’s first day. Julian and Bellona, as he had heard his dad call them, were a mismatched pair, especially when it came to their daughter.

Bellona could’ve rivaled Lupa in professional attire. She was all sharp angles, from her trim skirt and blazer to her heels. It was an ensemble she seemed perfectly at home in. Her hand splayed over Reyna’s back, guiding—or pushing—her out into the hallway ahead of her. Julian hovered nearby, one hand leading his daughter out. He looked much less comfortable than his wife. His eyes flickered around as they exited, but he flashed a reassuring smile at Reyna. She didn’t return it. Even from where he stood next to his mom and Miss Lupa, Jason could sense some kind of tension among the three. Not unlike the palpable feeling of pressure that had preceded the thunderstorm raging outside. Her mom had wrapped her in a brief, stiff hug. On the other hand, her dad had kneeled, whispered something to her, and engulfed her in a proper embrace. She nodded at him in understanding before following Miss Lupa to get her schedule. Jason wondered how she would feel knowing her family was a topic of discussion between his parents.

He decided to reveal himself. Stepping into the early light of the kitchen, he announced, “You’re supposed to roll the _r_.” His father whipped around, almost falling off of his stool. 

“How long were you listening?” He glanced sheepishly at his wife, now rinsing the pan across from him. She took her eyes off the iridescent suds in the sink just enough to glower at him. At the table, Thalia freed one ear up to listen. She smirked at him, blue eyes mirroring his own sparkling in amusement. 

Jason shrugged. “Long enough to hear you swear.” He watched his dad swivel back around to flash a charming smile at his mom. That turned out to be a mistake. 

His mother flicked her wet hand in Zeus’s face, splattering his face and dark beard with droplets of soap and water. He only chuckled in response. “Oh, c’mon. It’s about time he learned some new words,” he maintained, dragging a hand down his face. She rolled her eyes and began carrying plates to the table. Jason helped with the bacon platter. He nudged his sister, trying to get her attention to put the plate down. Thalia sighed and ran a hand through her short hair after closing her laptop. He sat next to her, and their parents took their places across from them. 

“How are the essays coming?” Zeus passed a plate to his daughter. 

She huffed. “Slowly. I miss being a freshman. What I wouldn’t give to stay fifteen forever,” Thalia laughed. “But I don’t even wanna think about what the new kids are doing.” Jason flinched when she broke an egg yolk a little too violently. With that, she slid the eggs to him. “They enroll in March and have to catch up on everything? College applications must be hell.” 

Her mother looked at her curiously. “One of the Ramírez girls is in some of your classes, isn’t she? How is she adjusting?” He resisted the urge to correct his mother’s pronunciation again as she took the eggs from him.

“Yeah, Hylla.” Thalia thoughtfully swirled the runny yolk around with her fork. "I wouldn’t know. She’s pretty quiet most of the time. I think she hit it off with the volleyball girls, though. Seems the athletic type. I’m not sure if she’s doing applications.” 

Zeus scooped an egg from the plate and placed it back in the center of the table. “I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. Between her and her sister, they have over ten schools on their records. I don’t think there’s all that much to put on an application, even if she did decide to fill one out.” _Ten schools? Reyna didn’t tell me that_ , Jason thinks. Though, now that he thought about it, she had mentioned something about always being the new girl. He wondered what else she hadn’t told him. From what he had seen of his new enigma of a classmate, he still had a lot to learn. 

Beryl frowned and turned to her husband, blonde curls bouncing. “See? What is she supposed to do after high school? She’ll just be stuck here until their family moves again! I’m bringing this up at the next PTA meeting,” she stated with conviction. Not for the first time, he appreciated his mom’s peculiar dedication to her post. She stayed quiet for several moments, probably already drafting a proposal in her head. No one else spoke for a while. The silence was only filled with the exaggerated scraping of their spoons and forks against the plates. He poked dejectedly at his eggs. 

“Wait, how do you know they’re gonna move again?” Jason demanded. The words punctured the air and broke the family out of their separate thoughts. Everyone else’s silverware rasped to a stop. His parents glanced at each other. The rest of his family knew something about Reyna’s family that he didn’t. 

From what he had overheard from his parents, Reyna was something of a legacy at JMS. Both her parents had attended before leaving town. It was strange thinking Julian and Bellona had once shared classes with his own parents. But that was about all he knew. 

His father regarded him apologetically. “Their dad is in the army, so they never stay in one place for long. They told me as much during the orientation yesterday. Said their daughters might find it a bit difficult to open up, at first.” _She didn’t tell me that either_. The little she had said yesterday was starting to make more sense. He remembered the way her eyes hardened when she told him she was a loner. Had she always been that way? Or had she tried to make friends and learned the hard way that she could never keep them? 

“The younger sister might not even finish middle school here,” his mother added solemnly. He felt a sudden pang of worry for her. Would she leave her new friends as quickly as she made them? Then, “And Hylla is probably going to be the only one taking care of her.” 

“Ugh. I feel bad for her. Imagine _that_.” Thalia scowled at him. He stuck his tongue out at her. 

Their mother ignored her children’s exchange. “It must be hard on them to move around so much,” she mused. “I’m sure it’s difficult to make new friends and just leave them after a year or two.” She turned to him and Thalia with a look of almost accusation. “I certainly hope you two are making them feel welcome.” She swiveled her fork between the two of them almost menacingly. The look on her face told them it would not end well if they answered _no_.

Thalia held her hands up in a show of innocence. “Look, I would, but Hylla doesn’t _want_ to talk to anyone. She seems like a snob,” she sniffed. She was met with Beryl’s disapproving expression. 

She sighed and considered her son. “Please tell me you’re being nicer than your sister.” The said sister rolled her eyes and made a show of aggressively spearing a piece of bacon. “What about the younger daughter? Is she in any of your other classes, sweetie?” Jason tried to forget what she said about Reyna not staying at school long. 

When he had tried to talk to the new girl, she was quick to inform him that it was only a matter of time before she left and that he shouldn’t bother trying to befriend her. He had attempted to take it in stride, but her constant questioning stare, combined with the fact that she only ever offered a few words at a time made that a little difficult. Nevertheless, he had managed to squeeze her full name out of her by the end of the day. 

He nodded. “Her name’s Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano,” he enunciated the syllables, paying extra attention to the _r_ ’s. Judging by the odd look he got from his sister, he needed more practice with it. He beamed at his parents. “She’s my best friend.” 

She gave him an amused smile. “Is she, now? After a day?” 

“I gave her the tour!” He turned to his father. “Don’t worry. I didn’t half-ass it.” His mother glared at him pointedly. 

“Well, how is _she_ doing at school?” 

Jason thought for a minute. He summoned an image of the girl, admittedly never far from his mind since she walked into class. Dark eyes that looked too old to belong to a twelve-year-old. Hair twisted into a braid trailing down her back, practically parallel to the back of her seat. And a proud, detached air that made it clear she wasn’t thrilled to be there. “She’s a little like her sister, I guess. She doesn’t talk much either.” 

“Then how did you make friends with her?” Thalia interjected, flashing bits of half-chewed bacon. 

Her mother tutted. “At least he’s making an effort.” 

He shifted in his chair and wrinkled his nose. “I had to do most of the talking. And she was kinda mean, at first…” He didn’t miss the bemused look his parents shared, and he was quick to reassure them. “But she actually really likes it at school.” That was a lie, Jason confessed to himself. That much was clear from the moment she walked into gym class with raindrops studding her braid and fire flickering in her eyes.


	2. A Newfound Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyna arrives at Jupiter Middle School, prepared to fake smiles and get by until her years there are up. One apathetic principal, one decidedly half-assed tour, and one stubby coach later, she's sure this school will be like all the others. That is, until she gets to know her classmates. Then, she does the unimaginable: she breaks her routine.

Reyna didn’t like it at that school. Though, she admitted, not particularly more or less than any schools she had attended previously. After so much time being the new girl, they started to blend together. Her life felt like an endless trek through unfamiliar hallways against a wave of unfamiliar faces. And when the bell rang, when her family packed up again, it was time to move to another hallway to be surrounded by different faces. One of them had his blue eyes surveying her absently. She sat across from her parents in Principal Grace’s office. She didn’t like him, either. He had dark hair matched with a salt-and-pepper beard. Patches of white cut through the black like lightning flashes. He had asked her the standard questions she imagined were required of a new student. 

“So, Miss Reyna, how many schools have you attended?” 

_You have my records_ , she thought. _You already know_. Regardless, she answered, “Too many.” Her eyes stayed fixed on the window behind him. It was raining. Sheets of water lashed the glass, drops racing down to collect at the bottom of the pane. Claps of thunder punctuated the calm occasionally. She pretended not to notice the way her dad’s eyes shot outside when a rumble sounded. Something inside her laughed. A thunderstorm on her first day. A bad omen, if there ever was one. 

Her mother forced a light giggle as if her daughter had been joking (she hadn’t been). “Five,” she supplied, “Not counting this one.” She frowned at Reyna in chastisement. Her dad too was looking at her, though he was smiling slightly. 

The principal flashed back an equally pained smile. “And how did you like it at those other schools?” 

Despite tearing up her roots every two years, Reyna had managed to develop a routine. Experience told her this was his smooth transition into a school sales pitch, and she prepared herself for a long spiel about teachers, classes, clubs, and extracurriculars. Most of which she wouldn’t get to experience for long, anyway. Plastering a look of excitement on her face, she answered him.

“I liked them,” she nodded. “But I think I’ll love it here.” It made her sick to her stomach, but she batted her eyes sweetly for good measure. The less convincing he thought she needed, the better. Not that it mattered much. It wasn’t as if she had a choice. Predictably, though, his eyes lit up. 

“Oh, I _know_ you will, Miss Reyna. Jupiter Middle provides all the things that help students explore who they are and develop good relationships with their peers.” Here, he paused to nod at her parents in reassurance. “There are also plenty of activities outside of classes that will ensure she fits right in with the rest of the student body.” Then, to her, “I’m sure your classmates will welcome you with open arms. Now, as for class placements…” 

Reyna checked out of the conversation again. Instead of listening, she turned her attention back to the window. She hedged her bets on which drops would trickle down the fastest. It was a game Hylla had played with her during their endless cross-country moving trips. With the landscapes outside the car windows blurring by, it looked like the rain was washing it all away. She wondered idly how long it would be until they played that game again. 

By the time the principal had finished thoroughly proving that he knew her record like the back of his hand, the thunder outside had quieted. She and her parents were ushered out into the hall. Her mom steered her forward with a hand at the small of her back; it was neither comforting nor disconcerting. Feeling her dad’s hand tense in her own, she squeezed back. He threw an encouraging smile over his shoulder. She frowned in response. It hadn’t reached his eyes. The hand at her back became more insistent, and she took several more steps out of the door. 

“I’ll hand you over to Mrs. Grace and Miss Lupa. They have your schedule, and they’ll take you to class.” He indicated two women waiting not far from where they stood. She assumed the younger of the pair was his wife. The blonde spoke animatedly with a severe-looking woman. While Mrs. Grace gestured wildly in front of her face, Miss Lupa kept her hands at her sides and arranged her face into a calm expression. Though, evidently, she was no less successful at getting her point across. Judging by the look of both their faces, they had been arguing. And heatedly, at that. At the mention of their, names, however, they snapped to attention and greeted the principal and her family. Mrs. Grace with a kind smile, and Miss Lupa with a curt nod. 

What she didn’t initially notice was the boy at Mrs. Grace’s side. Their son, if she had to guess. He was a younger copy of his father, but with his mother’s blond hair. The boy smiled amiably when he saw her, but she pretended not to see in favor of listening to the principal. 

“I trust they’ll answer any questions you may still have.” The lines around his eyes crinkled in a slightly fake smile. “Happy first day, Miss Reyna.”

She hummed. “Sixth first day, actually.” 

Behind her, her mother burst into a nervous laugh. She moved in front of her daughter and pulled her into a hug. “Don’t be rude,” she chided, shaking her a bit forcefully. Her pumps were planted firmly on the floor where she kneeled before Reyna. “And have fun.” They sounded more like orders coming from her. She rose from the stooped position without faltering and went to stand beside the principal, wearing an apologetic smile. 

Her dad sank in front of her and ran his hands up and down her arms soothingly. “Good luck, _mija_.” He gently pressed her head to his shoulder and whispered, “And make some friends.” From him, the words were less of a suggestion and more of a plea. She withdrew from him slowly, feeling the stubble along his jaw tickle her cheek. Glancing back at the waiting women, she nodded mutely and broke away from her parents. There were two pairs of eyes trained on her as she walked. Her dad’s, filled with sadness—and some disappointment—bored into the back of her head. Ahead of her, though, blue orbs studied her curiously and tried to hold her gaze. Reyna ignored both of them. 

Mrs. Grace flashed another winning smile in acknowledgment before shooing the boy to his next class. He obeyed after sparing her another probing look. Mrs. Grace and Miss Lupa led her out into the rain. 

Jupiter Middle School had an open campus. Five buildings were arranged in a pentagon around the administrative building. Between them were various lawns and courtyards currently getting watered by the light drizzle. Strips of concrete spiderwebbed through the grass and formed paths to different buildings. One large field stood off to the left of them, probably meant to host sports and other outside activities. The lawn right in front of them boasted the school’s mascot. A huge golden eagle perched on a pole, wings spread victoriously. _Horribly tacky_ , she thought. Its ruby eyes glinted even in the rain. 

Somewhere down the street in front of them was the town’s local high school, where she knew Hylla was soldiering through her first day, too. She could only hope her sister was having a better day than she was. 

The two women dragged her along and pointed out the rooms she would have to visit later that day. They constantly asked if she had any questions, but she didn’t care enough to think of any. Eventually, they dropped her off at the bigger field where other classes were gathered. By the way the children were bending themselves into awkward positions and running around aimlessly, Reyna decided she had interrupted gym class. Mrs. Grace stayed by her while Miss Lupa made her way to a stubby man who could’ve been mistaken for a student, if not for his sour face. The woman towered over him almost laughably as she spoke. She turned around and gestured her forward. 

“This is Coach Hedge. His will be your first class every morning.” She looked back at him. “Mr. Hedge, meet your newest student.” 

He gave her a once-over. She almost cracked a smile. He had to tilt his head up to look her in the eyes. “Alright, cupcake. We just started, so don’t expect to be slackin’ off.” He produced a clipboard from behind him and flipped through several papers. “You’re with them.” She followed his finger to a group of students who didn’t look like gym was their favorite subject. Purple pinnies clung to their clothes. “Y’know. With Golden Boy over there.” Among them, she spotted the Grace boy from earlier. She didn’t miss his mother’s glare, though she was sure the Coach did. 

Her tour guides said their goodbyes, both asking her to come to them on the off chance she should ever develop a question. Mrs. Grace smiled one last time before following the Vice Principal off the field. The Coach tossed her a pinnie. And with that, Reyna went to join her classmates. 

Needless to say, the boy went bounding up to her as soon as he saw her approaching. She was taller than he was, she noted with satisfaction, a good four inches, at least. He didn’t seem to mind the height difference. He was still taller than Coach Hedge, after all. “I’m Jason Grace,” he introduced himself easily. His hair was damp and sticking up at odd angles from the rain still stubbornly misting everything. 

“The principal’s son.” Reyna looked past him to her other classmates, but she still saw his toothy grin wane a little. There were three others in the group she’d been assigned to. There was a pale boy with hazel eyes trained on a smudge of gray rolling around in the grass. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what that was about. A little ways away from him sat a girl with long, ruddy hair getting plastered to the sides of her face. Reyna might’ve been able to distinguish her eye color had she not had them buried in a book. She felt a twinge of respect for the girl who had managed to smuggle a novel into gym class. Passed out near the middle of the clearing was a boy with a mass of dark hair and cherry red stains around his mouth. In her experience, this would be the kind of thing a teacher should be alerted to, and she was about to run back to the Coach when the boy jumped up and executed a wobbly cartwheel. 

“Yeah. He’s my dad, but it’s not really a big deal.” That gave her a pause. She had immediately branded Jason as _that_ boy every school seemed to have. The child of a staff member, popular-by-association, haughty, people-pleaser that needed everyone to love him. Instead, he looked almost embarrassed. She realized it must be either a convincing attempt at modesty or a futile bid for her praise. A retort was sitting on her tongue when the cartwheel boy landed flat on his back. Her concern must have registered on her face because Jason turned around. “Oh. That’s Dakota,” he winced. He looked ready to help him up when a whistle pierced the air and Dakota bolted upright. Everyone turned to see Coach Hedge whip out a megaphone. Reyna barely had enough time to brace herself before his voice boomed across the green. 

“I hope you’ve warmed up enough! Ten laps, cupcakes! Go! Go! Go!” She wasn’t sure how such a small body could play host to such a large voice. His arms waved in circles around his head, indicating the long dirt track surrounding the field. Dakota groaned and fell back again before Jason hauled him up. The classes drifted onto the track. She stayed with her unfortunate little clique. Jason shouldered Dakota along. The girl had tucked her novel into her jacket, and the boy had placed the gray blob in his sweater hood. It looked back at her with beady eyes as they ran. She saw with a start that it was a waterlogged rodent of some kind. 

On the bend of their third lap, it became clear that the other four kids weren't going to make it to ten. Jason was sagging under Dakota’s weight, the girl kept stopping to pick her book up from the mud, and the thing in the boy’s hood had made its way to perch on his head. She, herself, was fine, until Jason tugged her hand and led their group behind a building. 

“What are you doing?” she demanded. She watched the other classes speed by without sparing them a glance, the Coach limping after them with the whistle. 

Jason panted. “I… need to put him down.” He rounded the corner, and she saw no choice but to follow. They entered a small lawn with curvy topiaries and rose bushes, benches scattered around. Jason explained that it was the Garden of Bacchus, dedicated to one of the school’s donors. Dakota’s dad, as it turned out. With that, he dumped the boy onto one of the benches and plopped down beside him. The other girl and boy sat on either side of him, leaving little room for her. Not that she needed it. 

“What’s wrong with him?” She indicated Dakota. 

The girl looked up fully from her book. “Sugar crash.” Reyna saw that her eyes were a startling light green. “I’m Gwen Carter,” she smiled. “You already know Dakota Uva and Jason Grace…” Both boys waved tiredly. Gwen jabbed a finger to her right. “And this is Bobby Hayes and Hannibal.” 

Reyna looked at Bobby. By her count, there were only five students in this group. Her question was answered when he brought his cupped hands in front of him. “This is Hannibal.” The little gray creature, a hamster, she noted, was nestled in his palms. “The class pet,” Bobby explained. 

“Oh.” Was all she could think to say. 

Jason piped up then, apparently having regained his breath. “What’s your name?” 

She looked at all of them, staring at her expectantly. Even Dakota peered at her blearily. “Reyna,” she said finally. 

“Reyna what?” She just blinked at Jason. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll just ask my dad,” he threatened, though he was grinning at her. 

She sighed. “Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano.” He tried to repeat her and ended up initiating several minutes of them saying her name back and forth at increasingly loud volumes. Eventually, he gave up. 

“I’ll practice,” he promised. 

She doubted any amount of practice would help him.“So… is he going to wake up?” Dakota had slumped to the ground but kept his head planted on the wet wood. 

Gwen waved dismissively, not even looking up from her book. “He’ll be fine. Jason, take the Kool-Aid.” He obeyed and pried a ‘water’ bottle from his friend’s hands. It made her wonder just how often this happened. He tossed the empty container into the grass and shoved Dakota down along with it. Rolling onto his back, he stared at the sky, paying little attention to the rain dousing his face. Jason patted the now-empty spot beside him in invitation. Reyna sat a safe distance away from him, almost joining Dakota on the ground. 

It didn’t really matter. He closed the space between them easily. Jason Grace had little use for personal space, she was coming to notice. “So… now that we’re friends, can you share something other than your name?” 

“Friends?” She turned the word over in her mind. That was a concept she was familiar with but one she had never really experienced. Like a foreign place she’d heard about but hadn’t visited. “Why?” 

Jason shrugged, his wet shoulder brushing hers. “Why not? You’re the new girl. New people are the best people to make friends with.” 

She scoffed. “Not when you’re always the new girl.” He didn’t seem fazed by that. If anything, he seemed more determined to befriend her. “I don’t bother making friends.” A look of horror crossed his face, blue eyes going wide. 

“You don’t want to make friends?” 

She scooted farther away from him. “I’ll only be around for two or three years. I don’t care, and no one else does, either.” 

The boy considered that for several moments. Dakota, Gwen, and Bobby traded uncomfortable glances. Even Hannibal blinked at her with something akin to pity. Reyna didn’t like it. “It doesn’t matter, anyway.” She shook her head. 

“Yes it does,” Jason insisted. “Everyone needs friends.” He had once again invaded her space, almost running her off the bench. “So what if we only know each other for a few years? That’s plenty of time to make a friend!” 

Gwen chimed in. “Yeah! Hannibal probably won’t even make it to eighth grade, but we love him just the same!” she chirped. She ignored Bobby’s scandalized glare. 

Reyna straightened, tensing practically flush to Jason’s side. “I’m more of a loner…” She pushed aside the fact that she was such out of necessity rather than personal preference. That was the whole point, wasn’t it? _Don’t get attached. You can’t stay. Make it easier when you leave._

“So are the rest of us.” Jason shrugged as everyone nodded in confirmation. That much didn’t surprise her. “We can all be loners together!” 

She deflated slightly. He really didn’t know when to give up. “I don’t think that’s how it works.” But even as she says it, between Gwen’s warm smile, Dakota’s upside-down smirk, Bobby’s shy grin, and the infuriatingly happy beam of light that was Jason’s face, she didn’t think she cared. 

So when they try to pull her into a far more interesting tour of campus, darting through empty classrooms and gossiping about teachers, she lets them. She follows them, chattering endlessly about friendship and hamsters and Kool-aid and books and _permanence_ , and Reyna can’t really help but think that three years with these misfits might well last her for the rest of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I project all my pervious first-day-of-middle-school jitters onto this character? Of course not! What made you think that?


End file.
